UNESCO is the lead UN Agency for promoting freedom of expression and safety of journalists as part of its mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”.
Understanding Journalist Safety in Poland
Poland's place in the WJS Global Index of Safety is not surprising. During the period under review, Poland experienced a significant impact of political and economic factors on the stability of democracy and the values related to it, including media autonomy and pluralism. Therefore, in the presented study, it was decided to correlate the timeframe with the period when Poland's position in the international rankings began to deteriorate, i.e., from 2015 to 2023, the period when the Law and Justice party was in power in Poland. After the parliamentary elections, the situation is changing, but it is a process and the results are not very clear. Economic issues are also an important part of journalists' security. Market tendencies in Poland are: shrinking of the press market, gradual development of AI, and strong polarization of broadcasters. In addition, SLAPPs have become an important tool for implementing a strategy aimed at weakening independent media. Journalists were subject to pressure from editors, an unstable labour market and the public. It is important to note that the most typical forms of employment in the profession are not stable.
Safety Dimensions
This radar chart displays how the country performs across all four safety dimensions, revealing areas of strength and concern.
Gender Safety Gap
This comparison highlights differences in safety experiences between male and female journalists, revealing potential gender-based disparities.